diff --git a/argopy/utils/checkers.py b/argopy/utils/checkers.py
index e5ce2a20..b105d694 100644
--- a/argopy/utils/checkers.py
+++ b/argopy/utils/checkers.py
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ def check_index_cols(column_names: list, convention: str = "ar_index_global_prof
         return column_names
 
 
-def check_gdac_path(path, errors="ignore"):  # noqa: C901
+def check_gdac_path(path, errors:str="ignore", ignore_knowns:bool=False):  # noqa: C901
     """Check if a path has the expected GDAC structure
 
     Expected GDAC structure::
@@ -469,8 +469,11 @@ def check_gdac_path(path, errors="ignore"):  # noqa: C901
     ----------
     path: str
         Path name to check, including access protocol
-    errors: str
-        "ignore" or "raise" (or "warn")
+    errors: str, default="ignore"
+        Determine how check procedure error are handled: "ignore", "raise" or "warn"
+    ignore_knowns: bool, default=False
+        Should the checking procedure be by-passed for the internal list of known GDACs.
+        Set this to True to check if a known GDACs is connected or not.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -481,7 +484,7 @@ def check_gdac_path(path, errors="ignore"):  # noqa: C901
     :class:`argopy.stores.gdacfs`, :meth:`argopy.utils.list_gdac_servers`
 
     """
-    if path in list_gdac_servers():
+    if path in list_gdac_servers() and ignore_knowns:
         return True
     else:
 
@@ -644,7 +647,7 @@ def isAPIconnected(src="erddap", data=True):
 
     if src in list_src and getattr(list_src[src], "api_server_check", None):
         if src == 'gdac':
-            return check_gdac_path(list_src[src].api_server_check)
+            return check_gdac_path(list_src[src].api_server_check, ignore_knowns=True)
         else:
             return isalive(list_src[src].api_server_check)
     else:
diff --git a/argopy/utils/locals.py b/argopy/utils/locals.py
index 6e0b169f..ede7881c 100644
--- a/argopy/utils/locals.py
+++ b/argopy/utils/locals.py
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ def show_versions(file=sys.stdout, conda=False):  # noqa: C901
             [
                 ("boto3", get_version),
                 ("h5netcdf", get_version),
+                ("numcodecs", get_version),
                 ("s3fs", get_version),
                 ("kerchunk", get_version),
                 ("zarr", get_version),
diff --git a/argopy/xarray.py b/argopy/xarray.py
index 26cca9a3..c4ea4448 100644
--- a/argopy/xarray.py
+++ b/argopy/xarray.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 import pandas as pd
 import xarray as xr
 import logging
+from typing import Union
 from xarray.backends import BackendEntrypoint  # For xarray > 0.18
+from xarray.backends import ZarrStore
 
 try:
     import gsw
@@ -14,6 +16,15 @@
 except ModuleNotFoundError:
     with_gsw = False
 
+try:
+    from dask.delayed import Delayed
+
+    with_dask = True
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    with_dask = False
+    Delayed = lambda x: x
+
+
 from .utils import is_list_of_strings
 from .utils import (
     cast_Argo_variable_type,
@@ -1929,6 +1940,44 @@ def list_WMO(self):
         """Return all possible WMO as a list"""
         return to_list(np.unique(self._obj["PLATFORM_NUMBER"].values))
 
+    def to_zarr(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Union[ZarrStore, Delayed]:
+        """Write Argo dataset content to a zarr group
+
+        Before write operation is delegated to :class:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr`, we perform the following:
+
+        - Ensure all variables are appropriately cast.
+        - If the ``encoding`` argument is not specified, we automatically add a ``Blosc(cname="zstd", clevel=3, shuffle=2)`` compression to all variables. Set `encoding=None` for no compression.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        *args, **kwargs:
+            Passed to :class:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr`.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        The output from :class:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr` call
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        :class:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr`, :class:`numcodecs.blosc.Blosc`
+        """
+
+        # Ensure that all variables are cast appropriately
+        # (those already cast are not changed)
+        self._obj = self.cast_types()
+
+        # Add zarr compression to encoding:
+        if "encoding" not in kwargs:
+            from numcodecs import Blosc
+            compressor = Blosc(cname="zstd", clevel=3, shuffle=2)
+            encoding = {}
+            for v in self._obj:
+              encoding.update({v: {"compressor": compressor}})
+            kwargs.update({'encoding': encoding})
+
+        # Convert to a zarr file using compression:
+        return self._obj.to_zarr(*args, **kwargs)
+
 
 def open_Argo_dataset(filename_or_obj):
     ds = xr.open_dataset(filename_or_obj, decode_cf=1, use_cftime=0, mask_and_scale=1)
diff --git a/cli/show_versions b/cli/show_versions
index 86d7d589..2e14dba3 100755
--- a/cli/show_versions
+++ b/cli/show_versions
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ def show_versions(file=sys.stdout, conda=False, free=False, core=False):  # noqa
             [
                 ("zarr", get_version),
                 ("boto3", get_version),
+                ("numcodecs", get_version),
                 ("s3fs", get_version),
                 ("kerchunk", get_version),
             ]
diff --git a/docs/api-hidden.rst b/docs/api-hidden.rst
index 767379da..850e7a4c 100644
--- a/docs/api-hidden.rst
+++ b/docs/api-hidden.rst
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@
     argopy.xarray.ArgoAccessor.list_WMO_CYC
     argopy.xarray.ArgoAccessor.N_POINTS
     argopy.xarray.ArgoAccessor.N_PROF
+    argopy.xarray.ArgoAccessor.to_zarr
 
     argopy.xarray.ArgoEngine
 
diff --git a/docs/api.rst b/docs/api.rst
index c602d908..84a22cdb 100644
--- a/docs/api.rst
+++ b/docs/api.rst
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ Misc
     Dataset.argo.uid
     Dataset.argo.cast_types
     Dataset.argo.N_POINTS
+    Dataset.argo.to_zarr
 
 
 Utilities
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 4c0988f2..41391cf9 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -404,4 +404,5 @@
     'boto3': ('https://boto3.amazonaws.com/v1/documentation/api/latest/', None),
     's3fs': ('https://s3fs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/', None),
     'kerchunk': ('https://fsspec.github.io/kerchunk/', None),
+    'numcodecs': ('https://numcodecs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/', None),
 }
diff --git a/docs/energy.rst b/docs/energy.rst
index 05af8e47..da940f4e 100644
--- a/docs/energy.rst
+++ b/docs/energy.rst
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ All branches are also monitored. Their metrics can be summed to compute each new
 
 - `Energy used by upstream CI tests running daily and on each commit in the master branch<https://metrics.green-coding.io/ci.html?repo=euroargodev/argopy&branch=master&workflow=25052179>`_
 
+
 .. |energyused_CItests| image:: https://api.green-coding.io/v1/ci/badge/get?repo=euroargodev/argopy&branch=master&workflow=22344160&mode=totals
    :target: https://metrics.green-coding.io/ci.html?repo=euroargodev/argopy&branch=master&workflow=22344160
 
diff --git a/docs/whats-new.rst b/docs/whats-new.rst
index 1b1cf1db..0ea22eb0 100644
--- a/docs/whats-new.rst
+++ b/docs/whats-new.rst
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ With more details:
 Internals
 ^^^^^^^^^
 
+- **Support Argo dataset export to zarr**. Provide preliminary support to export Argo datasets to zarr files (local or remote). (:pr:`423`) by |gmaze|.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+    :caption: Export to zarr
+
+    from argopy import DataFetcher
+    ds = DataFetcher(src='gdac').float(6903091).to_xarray()
+    # then:
+    ds.argo.to_zarr("6903091_prof.zarr")
+    # or:
+    ds.argo.to_zarr("s3://argopy/sample-data/6903091_prof.zarr")
+
 - **Open netcdf files lazily**. We now provide low-level support for opening a netcdf Argo dataset lazily with `kerchunk <https://fsspec.github.io/kerchunk/>`_. Simply use the new option ``lazy=True`` with a :class:`stores.httpstore.open_dataset` or :class:`stores.s3store.open_dataset`. (:pr:`385`) by |gmaze|.
 
 .. code-block:: python