The dependence of the mixed layer depth hD on the sea surface fluxes is analyzed based on measurements taken along a cross-Atlantic section 53¿N. A linear function hD ≈ 0.44Lf, where Lf = u*/f is the Ekman scale, well represents the influence of the wind stress u* and rotation f on the mixed-layer deepening, thus indicating that the influence of convective mixing in late spring at this latitude is of a lesser importance. Also, data showed reasonable correlation of hD with the stratified Ekman scale LfN = u*/$sqrt{fN_{pc}}$, where Npc is the buoyancy frequency in the pycnocline, according to hD ≈ 1.9LfN. In both cases the highest correlation between hD and the corresponding lengthscales is achieved when u* values taken 12 hours in advance of the mixed layer measurements were used, which may signify the adjustment time of inertial oscillations to produce critical shear at the base of the mixed layer. The vertical profiles of the dissipation rate $varepsilon$(z) are parameterized by two formulae that are based on the law of the wall scaling $varepsilon$s(z) = u*3/0.4z and the buoyancy flux Jb: $varepsilon$1(z) = 2.6$varepsilon$s(z) + 0.6Jb and $varepsilon$2(z) = $varepsilon$s(z) + 3.7Jb. The first parameterization is used to calculate the integrated dissipation $tilde{varepsilon}$int over the mixing layer, which was found to be ~3--7% (5% on the average) of the wind work E10. The positive correlation between hD and $tilde{varepsilon}$int/E10 suggests that in deeper quasi-homogeneous layers a larger portion of the wind work is consumed by viscous dissipation vis-¿-vis that is used for entrainment. As such, the mixing efficiency, which is based on integral quantities, is expected to decrease with the growth of the mixed layer.