Final answer:
In marine spatial management, a 'target' is a conservation and management goal for maintaining marine biodiversity. These goals are often set in globally significant areas for biodiversity conservation. Adaptive management, considering local participation and ecosystem services, is crucial.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of a marine spatial management plan, the term target typically refers to the desired outcomes or objectives that the plan is designed to achieve in order to conserve and manage marine biological diversity. These targets are often set on Key Biodiversity Areas, which are sites considered globally significant for the conservation of marine ecosystems. Adaptive management approaches such as those used in the Comoros Islands, where local resource users play a crucial role in decision-making and establish limits on resource extraction, exemplify how targets can be set and managed within a marine spatial management context to ensure the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems and the services they provide. Targets aid in the organization and guiding of conservation efforts, considering the broad scale and cumulative impacts of human activities, such as fishing, shipping, and tourism. They help conserve not only species and habitats but also the essential processes such as flows and currents that are inherent in marine environments.