The macroalga Caulerpa prolifera colonized the Mar Menor coastal lagoon after the enlargement of the main inlet in 1972, coexisting now with the previous Cymodocea nodosa meadows. The physiological response and the photoacclimation capacity of both species were studied. For this purpose in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence, photoprotective mechanisms and oxidative stress were measured in both species in summer 2010 and exposure-recovery experiments were conducted to determine the acclimation capacity of both species. The results suggest that C. prolifera behaves as a shade-adapted species with a low photoprotective capacity, light being one of the main factors governing its distribution in the lagoon. The high photosynthetic capacity and lack of photoinhibition found in C. nodosa suggest that this species is highly photoprotected. It also possesses a high concentration of lutein and a high deepoxidation degree, related to a much higher NPQmax value