Question

You catch, tag, and release 35 fish back into a pond. Then, you catch 70 more fish, 12 of which have tags on them. What is the best estimate of the number of fish in the pond?

Answer 1

204

Step-by-step explanation:

The estimated total number of individuals in a population using the capture and recapture method is given by the following equation;

N = (M x C)/R

where N = estimates of the number of individuals in the population, M = number of individuals captured and marked the first time, C = total number of individuals captured (marked and unmarked) in the second attempt, and R = number of marked individuals captured in the second attempt.

In this case, M = 35, C = 70, and R = 12

Hence,

N = 35 x 70/12 = 204.16

Therefore, the estimated number of fish in the pond is 204.