Midtown East in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Diatom Lace

Photographed by Larry Gertner, September 4, 2024

1. Diatom Lace Marker

Inscription.
Stacy Levy
Diatom Lace, 2023
Embossed concrete pathways

Unseen by the naked eye, microscopic organisms called diatoms drift in the East River, thousands in a single teaspoon of its water. Single-celled and photosynthetic, diatoms supply oxygen to one out of five breaths we take. Floating in the water below are the common diatom groups Coscinodiscus, Navicula, and Cyclotella. Crucial to life on Earth, they are celebrated on the patterned, interlocking concrete pavers of Diatom Lace.

The outsized, critical roles of these tiny phytoplankton is as unrecognized as their intricate architecture. Their ornate silica shells are magnified and represented here. The artist focuses our attention on an invisible keystone of the ocean’s food web.

Stacy Levy worked closely with research ecologist Judy Yaquin Li, NOAA Fisheries, and Milford Laboratory.

Erected by NYC Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 2023.

Location. 40° 45.278′ N, 73° 57.701′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Midtown East. It is on East Midtown Greenway east of East 53rd Street, on the right when

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traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: East River Greenway, New York NY 10022, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New York City.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A River in Name Only (here, next to this marker); Our Changing Coastline (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Southpoint Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); Katherine Cornell 1893-1974 / Guthrie McClintic 1893-1961 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ellen Biddle Shipman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Irving Berlin (approx. 0.2 miles away); FDR Hope Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mount Pleasant (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Also see . . .
1. Diatom. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 15, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Diatom Lace on the East River. Stacy levy website entry (Submitted on March 15, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

3. East River Greenway. Forgotten New York website entry (Submitted on March 15, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by Larry Gertner, September 4, 2024

2. Diatom Lace

The artwork stretches north to the 59th Street Bridge

Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.

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