I'm trying to understand what causes the sea-surface temperature (in the open ocean and coastal areas) and the air temperature immediately above it to be different. I know very little about the subject, as I have not taken a class on boundary layers. I would think that in the winter, air is colder than the ocean (and vice-versa in the summer) because the ocean has a higher heat capacity than air. Am I right? What other factors contribute to the differences between SST and local air temperature, and are there notable exceptions to what I say above?
If there are relevant papers or texts on this topic, please let me know...