Suppose researchers marked 800 turtles and later were able to trap a total of 300 individuals in that population, of which 150 were marked. What is the estimate for total population size?
A) 200
B) 1,050
C) 1,600
D) 2,100

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The estimate for the total population size can be calculated using the mark-recapture method: (Number of marked individuals in the first capture / Total population size) = (Number of marked individuals in the second capture / Total number of individuals captured in the second capture). Solving for the total population size gives: (800 / N) = (150 / 300), which simplifies to N = 1,600.

Suppose Researchers Marked 800 Turtles and Later Were Able to Trap