Bloom Infestations are one of the first real walls you'll hit in Subnautica 2. The zones are swarming with fast, aggressive fish that deal significant damage, and you can't brute-force your way through them. There's exactly one tool built for this job: the Sonic Resonator. This guide covers where to find degraded Sonic Resonators to scan, how to craft one, and the exact method for clearing every Bloom Infestation you encounter.
What are Bloom Infestations in Subnautica 2?
Bloom Infestations are hazardous zones scattered across the world of Subnautica 2. They're visually distinct, marked by winding purple roots and clusters of glowing white buds. The moment you enter one, small Bloom fish start darting toward you, dealing considerable damage if they catch you, especially in groups.
The infestation doesn't just hurt you passively. To progress through certain areas and unlock new Adaptations, you need to actively clear these zones. Each infestation has two Bloom Nodes, and clearing both is what earns you the reward.
Bloom fish deal significant damage when they swarm you. Don't try to fight them individually. Focus on the buds instead, and the fish will die automatically once all buds in the area are destroyed.
Subnautica 2 Guide: How to Clear Bloom Infestations
Where to find the Sonic Resonator in Subnautica 2
Before you can craft a Sonic Resonator, you need to scan 2 degraded versions of the tool. The game scatters more than 2 throughout the world, so natural exploration will eventually turn them up. That said, if you want to unlock the recipe as fast as possible, there's one location that has both scans in the same building.
Head to the Welcome Home POI, located roughly 375 meters north of your Lifepod. Inside, you'll find:
- One degraded Sonic Resonator on a shelf to the right of the entrance
- A second one on the floor to the left in the next room
Scan both with your Scanner and the crafting recipe unlocks immediately.
How to craft the Sonic Resonator
Once you've scanned both degraded tools, the recipe becomes available at your crafting station. The Sonic Resonator sits at the higher end of the tool crafting tier, so make sure you've got the right materials before heading to the bench.
Sonic Resonator crafting recipe
Titanium Ingots require a Processor to craft, so if you haven't built one yet, that's your next stop. The Basic Battery needs Acidic Raion, which you'll have encountered during earlier resource gathering.
The Sonic Resonator isn't just for Bloom Infestations. Those large ore clusters you've been swimming past? A charged blast from the Resonator breaks them open, yielding more resources in one hit than chipping away at smaller deposits.
How to destroy Bloom Infestations in Subnautica 2
With the Sonic Resonator in hand, head back to the Bloom Infestation zone. The process is straightforward once you know what to target.
Clearing a Bloom Node
- Enter the infestation zone and locate the glowing white buds attached to the purple root structures
- Charge up the Sonic Resonator and fire a single charged blast at each bud
- One charged shot destroys one bud
- Destroy every bud in the area to cleanse the Bloom Node
- Follow the purple roots to find the second Bloom Node and repeat
The Bloom fish will harass you the entire time. You can kill them with the Sonic Resonator, but it's slower and wastes charges. The more efficient play is to ignore them entirely and prioritize the buds. Once the last bud goes down, every fish in that zone dies with it.
What do you get for clearing both Bloom Nodes?
Clearing both Bloom Nodes in an infestation area rewards you with a new Angel Comb, which grants a new Adaptation. Adaptations are passive upgrades that expand what your character can survive and do, so these clears aren't optional side content. They're part of your progression path.
For a full picture of what's waiting for you as you push deeper into the game, the confirmed new features for Subnautica 2 Early Access gives a solid overview of the systems you'll be unlocking.
Follow the purple roots from a cleared Node to locate the second one faster. The roots visually connect the two Nodes, so you're not searching blind.
For everything else you need to survive and progress, the full Subnautica 2 strategy guide collection covers crafting, base building, resources, and more.