Thousands of sardines dead, what's happening beneath the surface?

Thousands of dead sardines are now washing up along Gqeberha's coastline, including Pollok, Hobie, Humewood and Kings Beach.

It comes as scientists investigate a wider sardine mortality event along South Africa's coastline.

Pilchard herpesvirus has been detected in affected fish, but scientists caution that its presence alone does not yet prove it caused the deaths. They are also investigating environmental factors such as low oxygen and unusual ocean conditions.

So what is happening beneath the surface - and what could this mean for marine life and fishing communities?

We're joined by Dr Janet Coetzee, Senior Marine Scientist at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

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