Based on empirical data for the upper layer of the ocean, estimates of the rate of turbulent energy dissipation ϵ are obtained. The calculations of ϵ were made in four ways. The slope of the spectra E1(&epsi) of fluctuations of ϵ¯ determines the universal constant of the refined theory of the locally isotropic turbulence u=0.56±0.11. The large departure from normality of the ϵ distributions indicates the strong intermittency of the small-scale fluctuations of the current velocity. Using the slopes of the high-order structure functions Dp(r)=〈|u(x+r)−u(x|P〉, P=1,2,…,8, the universal constants up characterizing the momenta of the rate of the dissipation of turbulent energy ϵr, averaged over the sphere with a radius r/2 are determined.