Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) has upgraded its Baynes Sound ocean observatory in British Columbia (BC) to enhance monitoring of changing ocean conditions that may affect the province’s [multi-million dollar](https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/management-gestion/shell-moll-rep-rap-2020/index-eng.html) shellfish industry and future food security. The upgrades, made possible by contributions from the [Climate Ready BC Seafood program](https://www.oceanacidification.ca/climate-ready-bc-seafood-program) (CRBS), enable monitoring from near the seafloor to the surface, advancing ocean science and supporting the [B.C. Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Action Plan](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/climate-change/adaptation/climate-risks/bc-ocean-acidification-hypoxia-action-plan.pdf), a UN Ocean Decade-endorsed initiative. Baynes Sound hosts a rich marine ecosystem and is BC’s largest shellfish aquaculture zone. Shellfish are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, warming temperatures and hypoxia (low-oxygen conditions)—all of which can impair growth, development, and survival. Since 2019, ONC's Baynes Sound observatory has served as a sentinel of change, collecting data on key ocean acidification parameters at depths of five, 20, and 40 metres to provide early indication of shifting ocean conditions that can inform local adaptation strategies. ONC staff recently upgraded the observatory from a static platform to a profiling system that collects data throughout the full water column. This new design is expected to improve data quality by minimizing biofouling on sensors due to spending less time in the shallow, productive region of the water column. It will also expand the water depth coverage of key parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, and pH.