Sea surface temperature (SST) on the West Florida Shelf (WFS) shows considerable seasonal and inter-annual variability. Some of this is due to ocean dynamics associated with coastal upwelling and the Loop Current, but an equally important amount is due to local ocean-atmosphere fluxes. In-situ and satellite measurements show temporal and spatial variability that are not included in NCEP reanalysis fields. We describe the annual cycle of fluxes on the WFS based on recently collected in-situ data. Using a combination of data and models we then discuss the relative importance of the ocean dynamics and the surface fluxes in producing the observed ocean temperature variability.