Cutting sea-wall grassland for bumblebees. There are more than 2,000km of sea-wall flood defence in England and Wales, 450km of which are in Essex. Sea walls are managed so as to produce a short sward in order to allow inspection, to provide resistance to erosion and to prevent the development of scrub, which might encourage burrowing animals. Flood defences can support diverse assemblages of bumblebees, including rarities such as the Moss Carder-bee Bombus muscorum, a UK species of principal importance.