Subnautica 2 Biomes & Map Guide: All Regions and Locations
Complete biomes and map guide for Subnautica 2 Early Access — every region from Coral Gardens to Karakorum, with resources, threats, and points of interest.
Subnautica 2 takes place on the ocean planet Proteus, a different world from the 4546B of the original game. The map is divided into two major regions — the Coral Gardens and the distant Karakorum — connected through deep-water transition zones. In scale, the Early Access map is roughly comparable to the original Subnautica, though several biomes remain to be added in future updates.
Note on naming: Subnautica 2 is a direct sequel, not “Below Zero 2.” Below Zero was a separate midquel set on a different part of 4546B. This guide covers the Proteus map only.
Interactive Map
Community mapping projects are already underway. MapGenie offers an interactive map for Subnautica 2 that tracks resource nodes, fragment spawns, creature habitats, and point-of-interest markers. A 3D map viewer is also in development by the community. These tools are invaluable for planning deep expeditions — bookmark one before heading into the Karakorum region.
Coral Gardens Region (Starting Area)
The Coral Gardens region is your home for the first half of the game. It is a sprawling reef system with moderate depths (0-200m), warm water, and abundant sunlight. The region contains five distinct sub-biomes plus two transition zones.
| Biome | Depth | Key Resources | Threats | Points of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallows | 0-50m | Titanium, Copper, Quartz, Salt, Coral Samples | Crashfish (in Sulfur Plants) | Lifepod, Reception Center, Welcome Center |
| Jelly Barrens / Plateaus | 30-120m | Silver, Copper, Nestling Acid | Biting Shark, Bone Shark | Old Habitat, Camp One, Jellyfish remains |
| Anemone Hills | 50-150m | Silver, Gold, Angel Comb, Necrolei Cysts | Anemone Crab, Necrolei clouds | Angel Comb (Heat Tolerance adaptation), Silver caves |
| Sandstone Ridges (Leadzone) | 40-100m | Lead, Sandstone Outcrops | Biting Shark | Reliable Lead deposits, Power Transmitter platform |
| Tufa Towers | 60-180m | Lithium, Quartz, Metal Scrap | Great Jaw Clam (Leviathan) | Giant Jaw Clam (Portable Oxygen Generator), Cicada Wreck |
| Graveyard | 80-250m | Lithium, Gold, Sulfur, Rotting Jellyfish Cysts | Volcanic vents, heat damage | Tadpole Pens, Bloom infestations |
| Kelp Forest | 20-120m | Creepvine Samples, Lubricant, Silicone | Stalker (attracted to metal) | Fragment spawns (High Capacity Tank), abundant food |
Shallows
The Shallows are your spawn point — a sun-drenched zone of coral arches, sandy flats, and rocky outcroppings. The Lifepod, Reception Center (with the Habitat Builder blueprint), and Welcome Center are all found here. Resources are plentiful and threats are minimal, making this the ideal location for your first base. Solar panels perform excellently at these depths.
Jelly Barrens / Plateaus
North of the Lifepod, the seabed rises into a rocky plateau dotted with dead jellyfish remains. This area contains the Old Habitat and Camp One — two major story locations with valuable blueprints (Scanner Station, Sonic Resonator, Power Battery Terminal, Underwater Propeller Module). Biting Sharks patrol the area; keep Decoy Flares handy.
Anemone Hills
In the northwest reaches of Coral Gardens, the terrain becomes steep and covered in anemone fields. Silver deposits are common in the caves here, but watch for Necrolei Cysts — toxic clouds that drain health. The first Angel Comb is found here, which grants the Heat Tolerance adaptation after clearing nearby Bloom infestations. The Angel Comb also serves as a major navigational landmark.
Sandstone Ridges / Leadzone
Northwest of the Shallows, sandstone ridgelines contain the most reliable Lead deposits in the early game. Use the Scanner Station to locate them efficiently. A platform nearby holds the Hydroelectric Turbine and Power Transmitter blueprints — essential for base power.
Tufa Towers
South of the Shallows, towering tufa formations rise from the seafloor. This area is dominated by the Giant Jaw Clam — a sessile leviathan that contains the Portable Oxygen Generator blueprint inside its shell. The Cicada Wreck is also found here, another source of fragments and story data.
Graveyard
East of the Shallows, the seabed drops into a volcanic basin. Heat Tolerance adaptation is required to explore safely. The Graveyard yields Lithium, Gold, and Sulfur, plus the Tadpole Pens location. Bloom infestations are thick here — bring extra Sonic Resonator charges.
Kelp Forest
A dense forest of towering Creepvines, similar in function to the original game’s Kelp Forest. Safe and resource-rich, this biome supplies Lubricant, Silicone, and Creepvine Samples. Stalkers are present but easily avoided. Fragment spawns include the High Capacity Tank and other early upgrades.
Karakorum Region (Deep / East)
The Karakorum region lies far to the east of Coral Gardens, separated by a deep-water transition. This zone is more hostile, deeper (150-400m+), and contains the bulk of Subnautica 2’s alien technology and end-game content.
| Biome | Depth | Key Resources | Threats | Points of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axum Observatory | ~150-250m | Conductive Crystals, Alien Tech | Hydrogen Sea Squid | Rosetta Stone (Aksum Translation), Planetarium |
| Power Plant | ~200-300m | Atacamite, Meteoric Iron, Strontium | Current hazards, Heat damage | Angel Comb (Aksum Vision), Alien Power Turbines |
| Roots Canyon | 250-400m+ | Meteoric Iron, Metal Farms | Titan Rock Drilling Worm, Deep pressure | Black Box - Xi Dama 2, Deepest explorable biome |
Axum Observatory
Located roughly 1000m east of the Lifepod (marker appears after story progression), the Observatory is an alien structure with a Rosetta Stone terminal that unlocks the Aksum Translation ability. The interior contains a Planetarium sphere with story-critical data. After scanning, return to base and use the NoA terminal to update your objective toward the World Tree.
Power Plant
Further east from the Observatory, the alien Power Plant requires extensive repairs (Titanium Ingot x10, Strontium x10, Manganese Alloy Ingot x10). Atacamite is found on the ground near the Angel Comb tentacles in this zone; Meteoric Iron is at the nearby Metal Farm. Restoring power unlocks the final EA story sequence.
Roots Canyon
The deepest biome available in Early Access, plunging past 300m. Roots Canyon hosts Metal Farms — dense iron deposits needed for late-game crafting. The Titan Rock Drilling Worm burrows through the rock here; its vibrations warn of its approach. This is also the route toward the World Tree, though that content has not yet been released.
Other Biomes & Zones
Sparse Plains
An open, sandy zone with minimal vegetation. Collector Leviathans patrol these waters — large, aggressive creatures that swarm when provoked. Travel quickly and avoid lingering.
Overgrown Ruins
A mid-to-deep biome featuring ancient alien architecture overtaken by flora. Fragments and data logs are scattered among the ruins. The Titan Rock Drilling Worm is encountered here as well.
Void (Dead Zone)
The Void is the map boundary. Beyond the explorable area, the seabed drops away into an endless abyss. Void Leviathans (including the massive Abyssal Giant Tentacle) swarm any player who ventures too far. Beyond the Cavitation Silencer platform area, the game triggers a leviathan swarm — there is no hidden content out here, only death. The Dead Zone returns from the original Subnautica as an invisible wall of extreme danger.
World Tree
The World Tree is a colossal organism visible on the horizon from the Lifepod. It appears as a towering, tree-like structure rising from the ocean. According to story logs from the colonist Sophie, the World Tree supports a hundreds-of-kilometers ecosystem, and a rogue colonist named Nashima plans to destroy it, threatening all life on Proteus.
The Main Story objective updates to “travel to the World Tree’s roots” after completing the Power Plant and Observatory sequence. However, the developers have not yet released the World Tree story content — the EA main story ends at the Observatory for now. Future updates will expand this area.
Map Size & Comparison to Subnautica 1
The Early Access map is roughly comparable to the original Subnautica’s Crater in scale, though the playable area is distributed differently:
- Coral Gardens covers the western portion (similar to the Safe Shallows + Kelp Forest + Grassy Plateaus combined)
- Karakorum extends eastward (analogous to the deeper biomes of the original)
- Transition zones between regions function like the original game’s Deep Grand Reef or Lost River entrances
The map is expected to expand significantly with future Early Access updates as new biomes, creatures, and story chapters are added.
Comparison Table
| Aspect | Subnautica (4546B) | Subnautica 2 (Proteus) |
|---|---|---|
| Planet | 4546B | Proteus |
| Starting biome | Safe Shallows | Coral Gardens Shallows |
| Map structure | Single crater | Two connected regions |
| Map size (EA) | ~2.5 km x 2.5 km | ~2-3 km (estimated, expanding) |
| Depth range | 0-1700m | 0-400m+ (EA), expanding later |
| Key landmark | Aurora | World Tree |
| Map tools | Subnautica Map Genie | Subnautica 2 Map Genie (available) |
Quick-Reference Biome Table
| # | Biome | Region | Depth | Threat Level | Heat Tolerance Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shallows | Coral Gardens | 0-50m | Safe | No |
| 2 | Jelly Barrens / Plateaus | Coral Gardens | 30-120m | Low | No |
| 3 | Anemone Hills | Coral Gardens | 50-150m | Moderate | No |
| 4 | Sandstone Ridges | Coral Gardens | 40-100m | Low | No |
| 5 | Tufa Towers | Coral Gardens | 60-180m | Moderate | No |
| 6 | Graveyard | Coral Gardens | 80-250m | High | Yes |
| 7 | Kelp Forest | Coral Gardens | 20-120m | Low | No |
| 8 | Sparse Plains | Coral Gardens | 30-80m | High | No |
| 9 | Overgrown Ruins | Coral Gardens | 100-200m | Moderate | No |
| 10 | Axum Observatory | Karakorum | 150-250m | Moderate | No |
| 11 | Power Plant | Karakorum | 200-300m | High | Yes |
| 12 | Roots Canyon | Karakorum | 250-400m+ | Extreme | No |
| 13 | Void (Dead Zone) | Map Edge | N/A | Extreme (fatal) | No |
| 14 | World Tree | End-game | TBD | TBD (future) | TBD |
Planet: Proteus vs. 4546B
Subnautica 2 is set on Proteus, an entirely different planet from the original Subnautica’s 4546B. While both are ocean worlds with alien ecosystems, Proteus has its own unique biota, technology, and story. The World Tree, Angel Combs, Bloom infestations, and Aksum alien architecture are all unique to Proteus. There is no direct connection to the Kharaa bacterium or the Precursor race from the original game.
Key Exploration Tips
- Mark your map — Drop beacons at biome transitions and major landmarks. The World Tree on the horizon is a great reference point.
- Heat Tolerance first — The Graveyard and Power Plant biomes require the Heat Tolerance adaptation from the Angel Comb in Anemone Hills. Unlock this before venturing east.
- Depth matters — Basic equipment caps around 200m. Upgrade your Pressure Compensation before attempting Roots Canyon.
- Use Scanner Stations — Build these in your base to locate specific resources by biome. The station’s projection map shows resource distribution across all explored biomes.
- The map will grow — Early Access is just the beginning. New biomes will be added in future updates, expanding the world beyond its current boundaries.
External Resources
- MapGenie Interactive Map — Community-driven map with resource, fragment, and POI markers
- Subnautica 2 3D Map — Community 3D viewer (in development)
- Subnautica 2 Map Genie — Searchable map database for all biomes