The California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) is a collaboration of interdisciplinary scientists, resource managers, industry and others from local, state, federal and tribal levels dedicated to advancing the understanding of ocean acidification and its effects on the biological resources of the US west coast. C-CAN emerged from the Ocean Acidification Impacts on Shellfish Workshop, held July 7–8, 2010, in Costa Mesa, CA as participants and others interested in ocean acidification agreed on the need to facilitate and enhance communications and research collaborations among scientists, academia, agencies and industry.