The graph shows the estimated population of a certain species of fish, in thousands, in a lake as a function of the number of years since a conservation effort began. What is the best interpretation of the -intercept of the graph in this context?
The initial population of fish was 225 thousand.
The population of fish after 24 years was 225 thousand.
The population of fish decreased by 225 thousand over the first 24 years.
The population of fish decreased by approximately 2.25% each year.
