The ocean and atmosphere form a complex, multi-scale coupled system. Their interactions play a pivotal role in regulating global climate change, representing a major frontier and hotspot in interdisciplinary research of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. While the theoretical framework for large-scale air–sea interactions is relatively well established, our mechanistic understanding of meso- and small-scale ocean–atmosphere processes, as well as the laws governing mass and energy exchange across the air–sea interface, remains incomplete. By integrating multi-source observations, numerical simulations, and theoretical analyses, our group aims to elucidate meso- and small-scale ocean–atmosphere processes and the mechanisms underlying their interactions. We further seek to reveal the roles of these processes in oceanic mass cycling and energy cascades, and to clarify their impacts on and responses to extreme events and climate change.