It was studied the effect of subbituminous coal on growth and pigments concentration of dunaliella salina cultivated in photobioreactor multiple chambers oscillating (FMCO) under open field conditions. Five treatments of CSM (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 mg/L) and a control were performed, each in triplicate. Population growth was assessed by count cell, and the pigment content was performed by spectrophotometric techniques. The results indicated that treatment of 20 mg/L of CSM produced a greater stimulus on microalgae growth with 6.50 ± 0.77 x 106 cel.ml-1, specific growth rate (μ) 0.52 ± 0.03 div/day and duplication time (Td) of 1.33 ± 0.04 days. Also there was a greater increase in total chlorophyll and carotenoids per volume of culture in the logarithmic phase, with 12.6±0.26 and 0.50±0.04mg/ml, respectively. These concentrations show a significant correlation with maximum cell density of D. salina on function to the treatments of CSM with rMDC, chla.tot = 0.918 and with rMDC, carot.tot = 0.919 at a significance level of p<0.01. The positive effect on the growth strain is probably explained by the physical and chemical properties of the carbonaceous material The results demonstrated the feasibility of using this coal as a suitable substrate for the microalgae growth, being an innovative alternative and less costly to obtain important metabolites.