In June 2025, Brian McFee enhanced the pydata/xarray repository by developing a feature that enables customizable chunk key encoding when exporting data to Zarr stores using the to_zarr API. He introduced a new parameter to support Zarr V2 compatibility, allowing users to control chunk key formatting for improved interoperability and reproducibility in large-scale data exports. Brian’s work included updating documentation and adding targeted tests to ensure reliability. The implementation leveraged Python, xarray, and Zarr APIs, demonstrating backend development and data storage expertise. This contribution addressed a specific need for scalable, stable data pipelines without focusing on bug fixes during the period.