Earth/Sky/Mauka/Makai

As a kid growing up in Kaneohe, Russell Inouye often would go fishing in Heeia, where area kupuna would lament that things just weren’t what they used to be — for one, there weren’t as many fish. Years later, when Inouye had kids of his own, he wondered what the water would be like for them.

“It’s hard enough already to go and catch a bunch of fish. What are my kids going to be able to tell stories about — how they went to the aquarium and saw the fish that Grandpa used to catch?” muses Inouye, one of the co-founders of party and event promotion company Vertical Junkies.

One night eight years ago, Inouye dreamt about taking his kids fishing — except he had to do it in a warehouse because there were no more fish left in the ocean. He woke up in a panic. It was the middle of the night, but this couldn’t wait: He immediately called his Vertical Junkies partners with a new idea to celebrate ocean sports and emphasize ocean awareness.

The dream materialized into Hawaii Ocean Expo. Now in its seventh year, this year’s expo runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 11 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 12 at Neal Blaisdell Center. Boasting the tagline “anything and everything to do with our Hawaiian waters,” the expo is designed as a gathering space for all ocean enthusiasts. It encapsulates various water activities — from surfing and paddling to fishing and diving.

“You don’t have to be a hardcore diver or surfer to enjoy the ocean — it’s more of a lifestyle,” Inouye says. “I have a boat, and I also fish and dive — a lot of people are involved in multiple sports.”

Hawaii Ocean Expo includes dozens of vendors that feature ocean gear, clothing and food. Within the expo, there also are interest-specific sections, like boat displays, a surf museum and a keiki activities zone. There also is a surf sample sale featuring clothing and accessories from both international and local brands, including the women-focused Mermaid Boutique, which is stocked with swimwear and ocean-inspired jewelry.

The GT Master’s Cup fishing tournament also wraps at the expo, where participants will show off their biggest catches from the weekend.

Food is provided by eateries that include Heeia Pier General Store & Deli, Fresh Catch, Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck and Rainbow Drive-In. Amateur chefs also will participate in a poke-making contest.

While the expo starts at 11 a.m. opening day, it actually kicks off at 9:30 a.m. April 11 at Kakaako Waterfront Park with an area cleanup led by Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. (Cleanup participants get free admission to the expo.)

“There are thousands of people using this park on a weekly basis, and many have big picnics, get-togethers, or even live there,” explains Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii executive director Kahi Pacarro. “The leftover detritus requires external help to maintain the park’s beauty.

“In other words,” he says, “get plenny kine opala.”

Pacarro explains that Kakaako Waterfront Park is prone to both land-based debris — trash from our everyday lives that makes it onto the shoreline — as well as debris from fishing.

“We want to inspire people to fish more responsibly,” Pacarro says. “By showing them the amount of opala created through their recreational or sustenance activities, we hope that they can change, and inspire change through others.”

Fishing debris, he explains, includes bait bags, fishing line, weights, cigarette butts and beer bottles.

The expo also aims to teach attendees about environmental issues that the ocean faces, with educational booths from groups that include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Sustainable Coastlines.

Each year, Hawaii Ocean Expo raises money for a different nonprofit. This year, the beneficiary is Mauli Ola Foundation, which provides pro surfer-led surfing sessions for keiki with cystic fibrosis. Proceeds from the expo’s Surfboard Graveyard area (which sells used surfboards) benefit the foundation.

As another way to raise funds for the organization, artist Hilton Alves will conduct a live panting demonstration. The finished piece will be auctioned, and the proceeds go to Mauli Ola.

“That is what I love about the ocean community: Everybody just comes together and wants to help out,” Inouye says. “And that is what we want the expo to do — not just to be a show, but to do something and help out and get awareness out.”

General admission for Hawaii Ocean Expo costs $5 (per day), and kids 12 and under get in free. To sign up for the Kakaako

Waterfront Park cleanup, visit Sustainable Coastlines at sustainablecoastlineshawaii.org.

For more information, visit hawaiioceanexpo.com.