This book examines the history of health, diet, and nutrition with a particular focus on the issue of decreasing food security in places where once-stable food webs have suffered radical shock, as have the cultures of human communities, which have always been interdependent with now-endangered food sources. This volume came into being as one output from a large, federally funded collaborative research program involving over 80 researchers and students from both Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Canada: 'Coasts under Stress'. Two meetings of contributors were called specifically to work on this writing project. All writers were present at both meetings and all writers saw and critiqued early drafts of all chapters.