NOAA - Ecosystem Goal Team - To protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management
Incremental - A stepwise approach to implementation that includes a systematic process of monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation to achieve a desired outcome
The move toward EAM occurs along a continuum through a series of evolving advances, as opposed to an abrupt paradigm shift. Goals, like long-term visions, are best achieved when they are broken down into manageable objectives and projects. Collaborators work together, following an agreed upon plan, to make stepwise progress towards a common goal. The term incremental does not necessarily imply a smooth progression forward, as both setbacks and advances may occur along the way to achieving the goal.