What to know
-
Atacamite only appears at around 300 meters depth or deeper near the Alien Ruins region.
-
Main spawn areas are the Observatory, Power Plant (Krakorum), and Root Canyon around alien structures.
-
Deposits appear as dark green, spiky ore columns; small nodes can be picked up while large deposits require a Sonic Resonator.
-
Best method is to park a vehicle (Tadpole or similar) near 250–300 m, swim short runs to clusters, and use the Sonic Resonator to clear large deposits quickly.
In Subnautica 2, atacamite is a mid-game mineral used in advanced crafting that only spawns in deep, alien-ruins-adjacent biomes. This guide gives concise, actionable routing, safety tips, and a repeatable farming loop so you can gather it efficiently.
Atacamite farming details
Where to go and what to look for
Head to the Alien Ruins region and use the Research Outpost / Alien Ruins as your navigation anchor.
From there, travel roughly east to east-southeast and descend to about 300 meters.
The sandy seabed and the bases of alien structures (including the Angel Comb / drop-shaped structure) commonly host atacamite clusters. Also check the power plant control-room drop and the Observatory crater for additional concentrated nodes.
How to farm Atacamite efficiently
Step 1
Park your Tadpole or vehicle at about 250–300 meters near the Alien Ruins research base to minimize swim time.
Step 2
Swim down to the sandy seabed and move toward the Angel Comb / nearby alien structures; circle the central drop-shaped structure and search around the purple root and surrounding rocks.
Step 3
Identify atacamite by its dark green, spiky column look; note quartz (bright white) and other ores so you can distinguish atacamite quickly.
Step 4
For small nodes, pick them up directly; for large mineral deposits, use the Sonic Resonator to break them apart and collect the resulting atacamite fragments.
Step 5
Work a full circle around the Angel Comb/structure and the sandy area near alien wreckage to clear every cluster, then return to your Tadpole to offload and surface. Repeat the loop as needed.
Safety and efficiency tips
-
Manage oxygen carefully: leave a vehicle or oxygen refill point within 100–150 meters whenever possible to avoid risky long swims.
-
Use the Sonic Resonator methodically—clear one large deposit at a time and collect all fragments before moving on to avoid losing loot to terrain.
-
If you encounter aggressive fauna, retreat to your vehicle or use tools and modules designed to deter or survive encounters.
Rewards
Scale up your farming
-
Increase run frequency by parking multiple vehicles at nearby spawn points or using faster vehicles to reduce transit time.
-
Upgrade depth modules and storage on your vehicle so you can do longer runs before returning to base.
Atacamite is a deep-water, alien-structure-linked resource that rewards systematic routeing and the Sonic Resonator; set up a short loop from a parked vehicle and clear the Angel Comb and nearby sandy wreck areas for the fastest returns.
