What are the advantages and disadvantages of the capture-mark-recapture method

Capture-mark-recapture method is a technique commonly used to measure the size of a population. When using this technique, a number of individuals in a certain natural population are marked, returned to that population, and some of them are eventually recaptured as a basis for estimating the size of the population at the period of marking and release.

Advantages of the capture-mark-recapture method include; it is relatively costly, reliable, and its accuracy does not depend on the evaluation of the amount of habitat.

Disadvantages of the capture-mark-recapture method include; its accuracy depend on capturing a large proportion of the population, and marking of animals can have a dramatic effect on the animals.