Invasive carp are in the family Xenocyprididae and consist of four species: grass carp, bighead, black carp, and silver carp. They are native to Eastern Asia and were introduced to US waters in the 1960s. Invasive carp have been present in Louisiana since 1976 due to migration and favorable conditions for survival in Louisiana’s waters. Invasive carp negatively impact local aquatic life through feeding and impact habitat quality. There are few incentives for local fishermen to target carp, as dockside prices do not compare well to other commercial species. The overall goal of this project is to assess the suitability of Louisiana carp fish meal for use in aquafeeds to create additional market demand. One existing US-based plant in Illinois processes invasive carp into fish meal and fish oil. Ground carp were analyzed for heavy metal contaminants before determining whether Louisiana carp are safe for aquafeed. Fish were sampled from 3 locations- Peoria Ponds in Illinois and then in two commercial fishing zones in Louisiana- Zone 0101 and Zone 0103. For mercury analysis, samples were first digested in acid, microwaved, and analyzed in an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer with Yttrium as the Internal Standard in two gas modes. An Internal Certified Reference Material, ERM-CE101, trout muscle with a known amount of mercury (0.0219 mg/Kg), was used to validate the sample preparation and method development. The concentration of mercury was analyzed from both the locations Louisiana (0103 and 0101) and Illinois. The concentration of mercury was higher in Louisiana when compared to Illinois and these results are consistent with previous reports of increasing Hg concentrations as you move down the Mississippi River. Louisiana carp could be used as a source of fish meal but care should be taken to keep mercury below the maximum levels allowable for complete animal feed (NRC and AAFCO). Harvesting carp for fish meal production, from both locations, will provide an additional alternative ingredient for use in aquaculture feeds and help to reduce the number of invasive carp.