Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> The increasing levels of contamination in coastal regions by toxic metal pollutants have been directly related to anthropic action of disorganized population growth and development of industrial activities. Among the toxic metals, cadmium (Cd) has been identified as highly available in the environment and easily absorbed by diverse organisms. This study examined the effect of Cd on physiological performance of the red macroalga <italic>Bostrychia radicans</italic> from two mangrove locations (non-polluted and polluted). <italic>Bostrychia radicans</italic> exhibited deleterious responses on physiological performance with different levels of response depending on the area of origin and Cd dosage, with higher susceptibility for algae from reduced polluted areas. Additionally, our results showed that <italic>B. radicans</italic> could be recommended as a potential bioindicator of Cd pollution with photosynthesis parameters and pigment content as biological toxicity descriptors. </p>