A tilapia fish hatchery selectively releases fish when the populations have increased beyond a certain target level. In order to estimate the current fish population, workers at the hatchery catch 780 fish and mark them with special paint. Then a little while later, they catch 1,200 fish, among which 72 are marked. To the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the fish population?
Q. A tilapia fish hatchery selectively releases fish when the populations have increased beyond a certain target level. In order to estimate the current fish population, workers at the hatchery catch 780 fish and mark them with special paint. Then a little while later, they catch 1,200 fish, among which 72 are marked. To the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the fish population?
Set up proportion: Step 1: Set up the proportion based on the capture-recapture method.We know:- Marked fish found: 72- Total fish caught in second sample: 1200- Total fish marked initially: 780Let p be the estimated fish population.Set up the proportion:120072=p780
Solve proportion: Step 2: Solve the proportion by cross-multiplying to find p.Cross multiply:72×p=780×120072×p=936000
Isolate p: Step 3: Divide both sides by 72 to isolate p.p=72936000p=13000
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