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Climate-driven changes in ocean currents have facilitated the range extension of the long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) from Australia’s mainland to eastern Tasmania over recent decades. Since its arrival, the destructive grazing of the urchin has led to widespread formation of sea urchin ‘barrens’. The loss of habitat, biodiversity and productivity for important commercial reef species in conjunction with the development of an urchin fishery has led to conflicting objectives among some stakeholders that pose complex challenges for regional management. Stakeholders representatives and managers were engaged via a participatory workshop and subsequent one-on-one surveys to trial a structured decision making process to identify effective ecosystem-based management strategies. We directly and indirectly elicited each preferences for nine alternative management strategies by presenting them …