The climate of the ocean determines what the climate of the Earth will be.  The ocean receives its energy to move from the sun, but it does not receive it evenly.  Different parts of the ocean have different climates. For example, water in the Arctic is mostly frozen, while the water near the equator is 80º Fahrenheit.  Winds that blow over the ocean are either warmer or cooler, depending on the temperature of the ocean.  The atmosphere over the ocean, and the atmosphere over the land, is connected by the water cycle. The water cycle occurs when the air moves over the ocean and picks up moisture in the form of water vapor.  The vapor is carried by the wind to the land, and turns into clouds or water droplets. After the vapor turns into clouds or droplets, the clouds release the moisture, which falls onto the earth as precipitation.  Then the cycle starts all over as the precipitation runs off the land into the ocean.