🌊 Subnautica 2 Biomes Guide — All Areas & Resources

The Shallows is the Coral Gardens region's primary safe zone, stretching from the ocean surface down to approximately 200m. Sunlight illuminates the water column fully, giving it a warm, teal-blue hue. This is where your Lifepod landed after CICADA broke apart in Proteus's atmosphere, and it is the natural starting point for all exploration.

Key early priorities: Titanium and Copper form the backbone of your first tools and structures. Fibrous Pulp is the Proteus equivalent of fiber mesh. Medical Gel Sacs are a critical early healing resource — stockpile them before venturing into more dangerous biomes.

The Plateaus are wide, flat seafloor shelves sitting at approximately 70m depth, located north and northeast of the starting Lifepod. The terrain is open and well-lit, making navigation straightforward — one of the few biomes where you can see clearly in all directions without lighting equipment.

The defining visual feature of The Plateaus is the presence of giant jellyfish-like creatures drifting above the seafloor. These are some of the most visually striking fauna in the early game. Scan everything you encounter for Adaptation and recipe unlocks.

The Necrolei Hills sit northwest of the starting Lifepod and represent your first encounter with serious Blight mutation. The Blight bacterium has heavily altered the flora and fauna here — expect visually corrupted creatures and plant life. The "Necrolei" designation comes from the characteristic Necrolei Cysts, growths produced by Blight-mutated organisms.

Despite the Blight presence, the Necrolei Hills are worth visiting for Copper and Silver deposits. Silver is essential for mid-game crafting. Exercise caution: Blight-mutated creatures may behave differently from their baseline counterparts in The Shallows. Keep an eye on the visual corruption markers that indicate Blight-heavy zones.

The Lead Zone is a cave system located east of the starting Lifepod, with cave entrances accessible at approximately 60m depth. Lead is an essential early-to-mid game resource used in radiation suits and several key crafting recipes. This is your most reliable local source.

The caves are relatively safe compared to other Coral Gardens sub-biomes. Bring a light source — cave interiors lose natural sunlight. Because there is no in-game map, mark the cave entrance with a beacon on your first visit so you can return efficiently.

The Dolerite Spires are a field of tall, jagged volcanic rock formations that rise from the seafloor in dense clusters. The tight spacing between spires creates a maze-like environment that is easy to get turned around in — particularly dangerous in a game with no map. The volcanic rock blocks sunlight, creating deep shadow channels between pillars.

Always bring a light source into the Dolerite Spires. Without one, visibility drops to near zero in the deeper shadow zones between pillars. Use your compass to maintain a consistent heading, and drop beacons at entry points to ensure you can find your way back out.

The Graveyard is one of the clearest examples of an Adaptation-gated biome in Subnautica 2. It is a thermally active hot zone — the ambient heat will damage and kill you without the Heat Tolerance Adaptation (Biomod). You cannot enter simply by swimming there; you must have acquired the correct biological modification first.

Once you have Heat Tolerance, the Graveyard offers concentrated Gold deposits. Gold is a mid-game crafting essential for electronics. The biome's name reflects its visual character — it is a grim, geothermally scarred landscape of dead or dying organisms that could not survive the heat, contrasting sharply with the lush Shallows nearby.

Root Canyon is the deepest currently explorable biome in the Early Access build of Subnautica 2, accessible from around 365m and plunging to approximately 750m at its lowest point. Located within the Karakorum region (~1,000m east of the starting Lifepod), reaching Root Canyon is itself a significant logistical achievement.

The resource roster here reflects its late-progression status: Celestite, Atacamite, Conduit Crystals, and Angel Combs are unique to this depth range and unavailable elsewhere. Gold and Silver appear in quantity for players who have not exhausted shallower sources. Sulfur deposits support thermal energy systems.

Depth ranges are from the current Early Access build and may shift with patches.

The Observatory (also called Observatory Island) sits at approximately 300m depth within the Karakorum region. It is defined by the presence of alien structures — evidence of pre-human activity on Proteus. Like all alien structure locations in Subnautica 2, scanning everything here is essential for story progression and blueprint unlocks.

The structures appear designed for observation, consistent with the name. Their purpose ties into the broader lore of who built them, what they were observing, and how it relates to the Blight. Do not rush through — absorb the environmental storytelling.

The Karakorum Power Plant is one of the most significant landmarks in the Karakorum region and a major waypoint in game progression. Reaching and interacting with it is a key story milestone. Specific mechanics tied to the Power Plant may involve activating systems, acquiring resources, or unlocking new areas — detailed walkthroughs are available in the main guide.

The Power Plant's scale and purpose reflect the scope of whatever civilization used Proteus before the CICADA survivors arrived. It is not a human installation.

The Thermal Vent Clusters in Karakorum are classified as hot zones — approach with the same caution you would apply to the Graveyard in Coral Gardens. Verify whether your Heat Tolerance Adaptation is required before entering vent-proximate zones; this may vary by specific cluster location.

Gold concentrates around active thermal vents. More practically, these clusters are ideal locations for thermal power generation — outpost bases built near active vents can run thermal reactors at high efficiency with no ongoing fuel cost. A forward base here provides excellent staging for deeper Karakorum exploration.