The turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate &egr; is estimated from measurements of small-scale shear taken with a vertical profiler during the Fine and Microstructure Experiment (Fame). Typical profiles of &egr; are presented for the different oceanographic regions sampled, the Gulf Stream, a mid-Sargasso site, and locations withoutin and with the 100 fathom (~2000 m) contour about the island of Bermuda. Heavily averaged values of &egr; are presented as a funtion of mean V¿is¿la frequency ?, a fundamental scaling parameter for the oceanic internal wave field. A dependence of ?∝? is found for an ensemble of stations near Bermuda: functional dependence for an ensemble of stations at the mid-Sargasso site is less clear, with results exhibiting an undersirable sensitivity to infrequent large events. Dissipation is found to increase as the island of Bermuda is approached from any direction: the density of measurements is insufficient to determine any azimuthal variation resulting from the anisotropic mean flow field about the island at the time. A set of three profiles across the Gulf Stream suggests that this is not a region of abnormally high dissipation, a conclusion supported by previous and concurrent measurements of temperature finestructure and microstructure.