Making explicit linkages between coastal development, resource management and natural hazards, in a world where the impacts of climate change are accelerating and the management challenges are tremendous. This clearly calls for changed behavior of our citizens and decision-makers (as well as ourselves), "out of the box thinking", and new partnerships. This maybe through participatory field activities, training workshops, outreach campaigns or policy development. Working in Rhode Island as a "living laboratory" provides incite, methods, experience and learning to share with the rest of the world as we work with colleagues in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands; these international initiatives also provide a mirror for Rhode Island experience, to reflect and improve upon.