Subnautica 2 Coral Gardens Region: All 8 Sub-Biomes
Every confirmed Coral Gardens sub-biome in Subnautica 2 - Dolerite Spires, Graveyard, Plateaus, Necrolei Hills - with depth, resources and threats.
Coral Gardens is the starting region of Subnautica 2, and it holds eight confirmed sub-biomes — not just the Shallows you spawn into. Most players never look past their drop point, but Dolerite Spires, Graveyard, Plateaus and the rest each have their own resource mix, landmarks and low-grade hazards worth knowing before you push toward the gear-gated Karakorum Ruins Region. This page rounds up the seven sub-biomes beyond the Shallows, which already has its own dedicated guide.
The 8 Coral Gardens sub-biomes at a glance
| Sub-biome | Depth | Resources | Notable fauna / landmarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shallows | 0-224m | Titanium, Quartz, Copper, Fibrous Pulp | Water Slugs; first landing zone |
| Dolerite Spires | 0-128m | Lithium, Titanium, Copper, Metal Salvage, Silver, Salt, Quartz | Great Jaw (only one in-game), Hammerhead; Colonist Bunkers, Cicada Wreck |
| Graveyard | Deeper mid-water | Gold, Sulfur, Salt, Titanium | Houndgar; Tailings Village, Tadpole Pens |
| Lead Zone | Shallow-mid, 34-65m | Lead, Copper, Titanium | Deepwing Brooder; sparse lifeforms |
| Necrolei Hills | Mid-depth, 0-100m | Copper, Necrolei Cyst, Titanium | Necrolei (mutated fauna); primary Necrolei Cyst source |
| North Raceway | Shallow, open | Standard shallow-water ores | Open Tadpole route, few landmarks |
| Plateaus | Mid-depth, 23-119m | Silver, Copper, Titanium, Deepwing Egg Clumps | BFJs, Jelly Leis; uneven terrain can damage the Tadpole |
| South Raceway | 0-85m | Standard shallow-water ores | Open terrain adjoining Dolerite Spires |
How to route through Coral Gardens
- Start at the Shallows and stock the basics. Titanium, Copper and Quartz here cover your first Habitat Builder pieces — see the first 24 hours guide if you haven’t left the Lifepod area yet.
- Push to Dolerite Spires for Silver and Metal Salvage. Its maze of stone pillars is easy to get turned around in without a light source, and it’s the only place you’ll run into the Great Jaw — a sessile ambush predator, not a chaser, so give its position a wide berth rather than swimming straight at it.
- Detour to Necrolei Hills if a Necrolei Cyst recipe is blocking you. It’s the primary source for that specific crafting material; nowhere else in Coral Gardens produces it reliably.
- Watch your Tadpole’s hull on Plateaus. The uneven terrain there is one of the few places in the starting region that can actually damage a vehicle through normal driving, not just fauna contact.
- Use Graveyard’s Tailings Village and Tadpole Pens as waypoints, not just resource stops — both are named landmarks worth a beacon if you’re building a return route toward Karakorum Ruins.
- Treat the two Raceways as transit, not destinations. North and South Raceway are mostly open terrain with standard ore — useful for a fast Tadpole run, not worth a dedicated trip.
Coral Gardens vs. Karakorum Ruins
Coral Gardens is where you can operate without a Depth Module; Karakorum Ruins is where you need one. The practical line:
| Coral Gardens (all 8) | Karakorum Ruins | |
|---|---|---|
| Max depth | 0-224m (Shallows is deepest) | Up to 750m (Root Canyon) |
| Depth Module required | No | Yes |
| Resident leviathans | None (Great Jaw is sessile, not a leviathan) | Two Collector Leviathans |
| Best for | Early-game gear, first base, common ores | Rare metals, Axum Bacterial Culture, lore |
Once you’ve cleared the Coral Gardens sub-biomes above, the Root Canyon biome guide and Overgrown Ruins guide cover what’s next. For the full confirmed roster across every region, see the Subnautica 2 confirmed biomes list, and cross-check resource routes on the resource map by biome cluster.
FAQ
Is Dolerite Spires dangerous? Not in the way Root Canyon or the Void are. The Great Jaw is the notable threat, but it’s a sessile ambush predator rather than an active hunter — the real risk is getting lost in the spire maze without a light source.
Where do I find Necrolei Cyst? Necrolei Hills is the primary confirmed source. It’s also the only sub-biome named directly after its signature resource.
Do I need a Depth Module for any Coral Gardens sub-biome? No. All eight top out around 224m at the Shallows, well within default gear range. The Depth Module becomes necessary once you head into the Karakorum Ruins Region.
What’s the difference between North and South Raceway? Both are open, shallow terrain with standard ore and few landmarks. South Raceway sits closer to Dolerite Spires; treat either as a transit route rather than a farming stop.
Sources: Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica 2 wiki for region/depth structure, Dolerite Spires wiki page, and community biome documentation cross-checked against this site’s own confirmed guides for Root Canyon, Overgrown Ruins and the Shallows.