Why could bighead carp and silver carp disrupt Great Lakes food chains?

Bighead and silver carp pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes food chains primarily due to their rapacious consumption of plankton.12

As invasive species, these fish feed heavily on the base of the aquatic food web, which is essential for the survival of many native fish and other organisms. By overconsuming these vital food resources, bighead and silver carp can disrupt the ecological dynamics of the lakes, potentially leading to a collapse in the populations of native species that rely on the same food sources.12

Because they are highly efficient at colonizing new waterways, scientists have long feared that their establishment in the Great Lakes would cause widespread environmental damage, similar to the disruptions they have already caused in the Mississippi River system. Consequently, significant efforts, such as the construction of electric fish barriers, have been implemented to prevent their migration into the Great Lakes basin.12