Sea level rise is already beginning to damage coastal areas, and if the rate of sea level rises continues to rise as rapidly as scientific evidence suggests, carefully selected areas for recolonization should already be in place. Assisted biotic colonization replaces critical components of the habitat damaged by anthropogenic activities. The replacement of these coastal habitats is both an ethical imperative and in humanity s self interest. Successfully completing assisted biotic colonization will take the cooperation between the social and natural sciences and require integration of various academic disciplines.