Biome Naming
The checklist is located below this introductory text.
We use descriptive names for biomes, based either on their obvious looks or referring to a nearby important unmissable landmark dominating the area and visible on your radar. This is because not every biome has its referenced name in the PDA.
Most biomes are named after geographical features (Starting Shallows, Stone Pillar Shallows, Red Grass Mesa, Alien Ruins) while others are named by points of interest, like Camp One Shallows, Old Habitat Shallows, Cicada Wreck Main or Metal Farms. These have unique fauna, flora or minerals compared to their surrounding biomes, therefore they deserve their own slot. Instead of naming them by another type of stone formation, we chose to refer to the dominant nearby POI.
Subnautica 2 Map
The Subnautica 2 map is very simple and you do not need an actual map.
From your Lifepod
- To the northeast: Camp One Shallows, Old Habitat Shallows
- To the north: Necrolei Forest
- To the west: Sulfur Pyres (around 450 metres), then comparatively little shallow space until The Cliff
- To the southwest: Infested Caves (with Spider Dome)
- To the south: Cicada Wreck Main
- To the southeast: Coral Gardens
- Below Coral Gardens and Sulfur Pyres: Hot Cave
You will reach The Cliff biome and the world border in all directions in about 600 metres, except:
- To the east: Sparse Plains (after 700 metres), Red Grass Mesa (after 1000 metres), Alien Ruins massive area (after 1300 metres), Metal Farms (after 2000 metres).
- Around eastern biomes: Void
Related Checklists
Open the Subnautica 2 100% Completion Hub. See also All Vehicles, All Scannable Fauna Checklist, and All Scannable Flora Checklist.
Early-Game Biomes
| ✓ | Biome | Description | |
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Base
Biome
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Where: Your habitat. The base / habitat is not an official biome, but we use it as reference for items crafted at a Fabricator or other base-building related items. You can set up a base in most biomes.  |
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Starting Shallows
Depth: 0 - 40 m
Biome
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Where: The shallow waters around the Lifepod. Good for: Titanium, Copper, Quartz, Fiber Resources, small fish and few dangers.  |
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Stone Pillar Shallows
Depth: 0 - 100 m
Biome
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Where: Shallow areas in up to 200 metre radius from the Lifepod. Contains Blackbox - Chap and Adaptation. Good for: Titanium, Salt, Silver, Sulfur Dangers: Nibbler Mango Shallow area with towering stone pillars.   |
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Camp One Shallows
Depth: 0 - 100 m
Biome
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Where: Area around Camp One, about 300 metres northeast from the Lifepod. Dangers: Nibbler Mango, Marrowbreach Rocky area with little flora but plenty of small fish. You can acquire Digestion adaptability in this area.  |
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Old Habitat Shallows
Depth: 0 - 100 m
Biome
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Where: Northeast of Camp One. A deserted area with rough sharp stone terrain.   |
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Stone Mushrooms
Depth: 0 - 200 m
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Where: 400 metres northeast from the Lifepod, past Camp One. Cicada Wreck Lander Garage is here. Dangers: Marrowbreach Biome consisting of large stone plateau formations.   |
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Cicada Wreck Main
Depth: 0 - 250 m
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Where: 400 metres south from Lifepod. Good for: Tadpole Fragments Dark pit going significantly deeper than other areas. Houses a crashed starship with entrance on the western side with Moonpool recipe. Nearby is a gigantic pearl clam.   |
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Infested Caves
Depth: 50 - 100 m
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Where: Wander Blackbox Location, 250 metres west from Lifepod. Dangers: Bloom Parasite, Marrowbreach, Nibbler Mango Two parasite infested roots: one under the Spider Dome in the Infested Caves, the second in Necrolei Forest. You need the Sonic Resonator to enter and to destroy the glowing infected spots. Then the parasites will disappear and nibblers will replace them. A second similar cave is nearby.   |
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Necrolei Forest
Depth: 0 - 100 m
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Where: 300 metres northwest of Lifepod. Good for: Necrolei Cyst Forest of large glowing Necrolei plants.   |
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Coral Gardens
Depth: 50 - 150 m
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Where: 450 metres southeast of Lifepod. Dangers: Marrowbreach, Houndgar A deserted stretch of rough, sharp stone. Tailings Village and Tadpole Pens lie in Coral Gardens, which surrounds the Sulfur Pyres biome from most sides.     |
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Sulfur Pyres
Depth: 0 - 300 m
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Where: 450 metres west of Lifepod. Good for: Sulfur Dangers: Hot temperature Fiery red location with burning sulfur columns. Cicada Wreck Empty Hold is inside. Requires Heat tolerance adaptability and avoiding waters with temperature higher than 100 degrees.  |
Late-Game Biomes
| ✓ | Biome | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Hot Cave
Depth: 200 - 350 m
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Effect: At around 250 - 350 m depth below Sulfur Pyres and Coral Gardens. Good for: Gold Dangers: Hot temperature Bright hot water caves with the same sulfur columns as in Sulfur Pyres. Contains the Hot Cave Basecamp. Large volcanic cave in the center.    |
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The Cliff
Depth: 50 - 300 m
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Effect: Surrounds most of the map with a barrier. Dangers: Foureye, Nibbler Mango Sudden and very steep cliff reaching depths. Usually a world border after it.   |
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Sparse Plains
Depth: 50 - 300 m
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Dangers: Collector Leviathan Barren Sparse Plains with occasional stone formations.  |
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Red Grass Mesa
Depth: 100 - 300 m
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Where: Starts from 1000 metres east of Lifepod. Good for: Salt, Improved Fins Diagrams Dangers: Needler Mango Dense and narrow area with currents and flowing red grass. The Alien Ruins / Research Outpost basecamp is part of this area, as well as Needler Nest. Good spot for a second base. The outpost is already furnished a bit.    Characteristic glowing purple portals.  |
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Alien Ruins
Depth: 150 - 550 m
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Where: Starts from 1200 metres east of Lifepod. A massive area. Good for: Atacamite, Conduit Crystal, Creature Enamel, Celestine, Tadpole Chassis Blueprints Dangers: Needler Mango, Twin Sitaray Alien buildings and towers in deeper, murky waters. Large power plant and several outposts, including a viral zone. Has another Angel Comb inside.   Angel Comb below the turbine.  Clear the Comb, then activate the turbine in the control rooms.  Massive Alterra wreck to the south.  Viral zone to the northeast of the Angel Comb.  Restored Powerplant.  |
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Depth: 400 - 600 m
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Good for: Metal Farm Blueprints Dangers: Epicurean, Tongue Thief Glowing yellow pits with unknown fluid, used by Axum to farm metal.  |
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Void
Depth: 0 - 800 m
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Dangers: Shiver Leviathan, Shiver Male Vast and empty area behind the world barrier. Pitch black in some biomes.   |