On the mostly ocean-covered Planet 4546B, there are is a ton of biodiversity between its many different ecosystems. Each Underwater Biome is an alien locale ripe for harvesting resources yet also potentially full of danger.

There is no reward without risk in Subnautica: Below Zero, however, knowledge of what each biome holds in terms of resources as well as threats can be greatly helpful to players exploring this frigid and unforgiving world. There are 10 Underwater Biomes to discover in the game, all of which players should visit at least once in their first playthrough.

Arctic

The frigid waters of the Arctic are divided into eastern and western segments with slight variations in ecology, though both are rich in resources and marine life.

East Arctic Plants

  • Blue Scrub Bush Creepvine Fevered Pepper Tree Frost Anemone Frost Vase Plant Honeycomb Fungus Redwort Violet Beau

East Arctic Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Arctic Ray Boomerang Chelicerate Glow Whale Hoopfish Pengling Pengwing Pinnacarid Rockgrub Titan Holefish

East Arctic Coral

  • None

East Arctic Resources

  • Copper Ore Diamond Fevered Pepper Galena Outcrop Gold Ion Cube Large Copper Deposit Large Titanium Deposit Large Quartz Deposit Lead Limestone Outcrop Lithium Magnetite Pengwing Egg Ruby Snowball Titan Holefish Egg Titanium

West Arctic Plants

  • Creepvine Fevered Pepper Tree Hardy Cave Bush Honeycomb Fungus Pouch Bulb Redwort Thermal Lily Violet Beau Violet Snowcone

West Arctic Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Arctic Ray Bladderfish Boomerang Eye Jelly Hoopfish Pengling Pengwing Pinnacarid Rockgrub Titan Holefish

West Arctic Coral

West Arctic Resources

  • Blue Trivavle Egg Copper Ore Creepvine Sample Diamond Fevered Pepper Gold Ion Cube Large Copper Deposit Large Titanium Deposit Large Quartz Deposit Limestone Outcrop Magnetite Pengwing Egg Silver Ore Snowball Titanium Titan Holefish Egg

Sparse Arctic

Found bordering Arctic biomes, Sparse Arctic ones are similar, though, as one might guess, less populated and far less rich in most resources. However, the rare Forest Anemone can be found here, as can its highly delicious fruit, which players should definitely collect while they are here.

Sparse Arctic Plants

  • Frost Anemone

Sparse Arctic Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Brinewing Pengwing Symbiote Titan Holefish

Sparse Arctic Coral

Sparse Arctic Resources

  • Arctic Ray Egg Brinewing Egg Copper Ore Limestone Outcrop Quartz Salt Deposit Snowball Titanium

Arctic Kelp Forest

This undersea forest can make one feel sheltered when compared to the open water that often houses colossal and terrifying Leviathans. Most of the creatures here are docile, with some even being edible, so be sure to grab a snack as one harvests the many resources found in the Arctic Kelp Forest.

Arctic Kelp Forest Plants

  • Creepvine Oxygen Plant Redwort Violet Beau

Arctic Kelp Forest Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Boomerang Pengling Pengwing Pinnacarid Sea Monkey

Arctic Kelp Forest Coral

Arctic Kelp Forest Resources

  • Argentite Outcrop Copper Ore Creepvine Sample Creepvine Seed Cluster Galena Outcrop Lead Limestone Outcrop Pengwing Egg Pinnacarid Egg Quartz Silver Ore Titanium

Lilypad Islands

This fascinating and beautiful location’s most notable features are the great chunks of stone that have been pulled up by the mighty roots of the colossal lilypads on the surface that give this biome its name. Lifeforms of all kinds can be found here, in the Main Lilypad Islands biome, one can find the ever-useful Table Coral.

In some of these rocks, and the trenches in the seafloor, there is a sub-biome called the Lilypad Island Caves, which have mini-ecosystems within the larger Main Lilypad Island biome.

Main Lilypad Islands Plants

  • Antennae Plant Blooming Raindrops Green Ternion Hardy Cave Bush Lilypad Mace Plant Oxygen Plant Radiant Sieve Coral Redwort Spotted Dockleaf Spotted Reeds Tongue Plant Violet Beau

Main Lilypad Islands Creatures

  • Arrow Ray Bladderfish Brute Shark Feather Fish Glow Whale Lily Paddler Noot Fish Sea Monkey Spinner Fish Squidshark

Main Lilypad Islands Coral

  • Jordi’s Tung Table Coral

Main Lilypad Islands Resources

  • Argentite Outcrop Copper Ore Galena Outcrop Large Silver Deposit Large Titanium Deposit Lead Limestone Outcrop Metal Salvage Quartz Silver Ore Titanium

Lilypad Island Caves Plants

  • Antennae Plant Gel Sack Lilypad Purple Cattail Radiant Sieve Coral Ribbon Plant

Lilypad Island Caves Creatures

  • Bladderfish

Lilypad Island Caves Coral

Lilypad Island Caves Resources

  • Calaverite Outcrop Gel Sack Glow Whale Egg Gold Ribbon Plant Titanium

Purple Vents

Caustic yet gorgeous, the Purple Vents span a jagged yellow seafloor covered in thermal jets that eject super-heated purple matter that can burn the player if they get too close. While plant life is sparse here, there are some great resources to be gathered, though be wary of the large predators that prowl these open waters.

Purple Vents Plants

  • Ragged Pitcher Plant Sulfur Plant

Purple Vents Creatures

  • Chelicerate Crashfish Cryptosuchus Feather Fish

Purple Vents Coral

Purple Vents Resources

  • Crashfish Egg Crystalline Sulfur Lithium Metal Salvage Quartz Salt Deposit

Shallow Twisty Bridges

This shallow area covered in sprawling and undulating rock formations is a relatively safe place to go about gathering resources and enjoying pleasant views. One can find a few different kinds of coral here, though not the much sought-after Table Coral.

Shallow Twisty Bridges Plants

  • Blue Barnacles Blue Scrub Bush Bulb Stalk Plant Bullseye Shroom Crescent Moon Coral Double Lung Plant Ribbon Plant Scaly Maw Anemone Luna Plant Spotted Reeds Twisted Mandrake Violet Beau

Shallow Twisty Bridges Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Bladderfish Boomerang Hoopfish

Shallow Twisty Bridges Coral

  • Coral Bridges Pink Narrowleaf Shelf Coral

Shallow Twisty Bridges Resources

  • Copper Ore Galena Outcrop Gold Lead Limestone Outcrop Quartz Ribbon Plant Silver Ore Titanium

Twisty Bridges

As one can probably glean from the name of this biome, the Twisty Bridges are much like the Shallow Twisty Bridges biome, though has an even greater amount of biodiversity across all kinds of organisms. The amount of life packed into the lower canyons of the Twisty Bridges can offer up bountiful harvests for curious divers, including some Table Coral.

Twisty Bridges Plants

  • Blue Barnacles Crescent Moon Coral Oxygen Plant Redwort Ribbon Plant Scaly Maw Anemone Sulfur Plant Trinity Barnacle Twisted Mandrake

Twisty Bridges Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Arctic Ray Bladderfish Boomerang Brute Shark Crashfish Hoopfish

Twisty Bridges Coral

  • Coral Bridges Pink Narrowleaf Table Coral Thermal Zone Coral Shelf Plate Shelf Coral

Twisty Bridges Resources

  • Copper Ore Crashfish Egg Crystalline Sulfur Galena Outcrop Lead Limestone Outcrop Quartz Salt Deposit Silver Ore Table Coral Sample Titanium

Thermal Spires

Great vents that eject dark and cloudy sediment into the water are the most notable features of the Thermal Spires biome. This hot location is home to some lesser-seen creatures and plants, so be sure to check this area out at some point.

Thermal Spires Plants

  • Blooming Raindrops Hardy Cave Bush Radiant Sieve Coral Reaper’s Wineglass Redwort Spotted Reeds Tornado Plates Trinity Barnacle Violet Beau

Thermal Spires Creatures

  • Arctic Peeper Boomerang Cryptosuchus Feather Fish Rock Puncher

Thermal Spires Coral

  • Glowing Coral Shelf Thermal Zone Coral Shelf Plate Tree Spires Purple Coral

Thermal Spires Resources

  • Argentite Outcrop Calaverite Outcrop Copper Ore Diamond Galena Outcrop Gold Lead Limestone Outcrop Lithium Metal Salvage Rock Silver Ore Titanium

Tree Spires

Covered in tree-like hydrothermal vents, the Tree Spires biome looks a bit like a flooded forest. In these waters, be wary, as there are plenty of Leviathan swimming around, though, thankfully only the Chelicerate variety is dangerous. This region also possesses two sub-biomes: the Tree Spire Fissure and the central Large Spire located in the middle of this undersea forest.

Main Tree Spires Plants

  • Blooming Raindrops Bulb Stalk Plant Cliff Lantern Reaper’s Wineglass Redwort Spiral Plant Tornado Plates

Main Tree Spires Creatures

  • Arrow Ray Brute Shark Chelicerate Feather Fish (Red) Hoopfish Juvenile Ventgarden Ventgarden

Main Tree Spires Coral

  • Glowing Coral Shelf Tree Spires Purple Coral

Main Tree Spires Resources

  • Argentite Outcrop Large Copper Deposit Large Quartz Deposit Large Titanium Deposit Silver Ore Spiral Plant Clipping Titanium

Tree Spires Fissure Plants

  • Blooming Raindrops Reaper’s Wineglass

Tree Spires Fissure Creatures

  • Arrow Ray Discus Fish Triops

Tree Spires Fissure Coral

Tree Spires Fissure Resources

  • Calaverite Outcrop Diamond Gold Ion Cube Large Diamond Deposit Lithium Ruby Titanium Uraninite Crystal

Large Tree Spire Plants

  • Blooming Raindrops Cliff Lantern Reaper’s Wineglass Tornado Plates

Large Tree Spire Creatures

  • Feather Fish (Red) Lily Paddler

Large Tree Spire Coral

Large Tree Spire Resources

  • Ruby

World Edge

At the edge of the ocean, there is a drop-off before one plunges into the abyss. These undersea cliffs are the World Edge, beyond which lies nothing except a watery void and a trio of terrifying Chelicerate Leviathans that are larger and paler than their counterparts met higher up. These creatures will spawn upon the player’s location and will chase them down relentlessly until they are dead or they escape back above the World Edge into more shallow waters.

There are no resources, plants, creatures, or coral to find here except a few outcroppings upon the cliffs leading down into the horrible depths. This lack of potential food, combined with the partially decomposing appearance of the Void Chelicerates, has made many people wonder if these Leviathan are alive or if they are dead Chelicerates possessed by something unknown…

World Edge Plants

World Edge Creatures

  • Void Chelicerate (3)

World Edge Coral

World Edge Resources

  • Large Copper Deposit Large Titanium Deposit Large Quartz Deposit

NEXT: Subnautica: Below Zero: Every Vehicle In The Game (& How To Build Them)