To determine which organism's removal would cause the most instability in the Alaskan ecosystem represented by the food web, we need to consider the roles each organism plays in the ecosystem, particularly in terms of trophic levels and their interconnected relationships.
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Auklets: These are seabirds that may feed on fish or invertebrates and could also serve as prey for higher-level predators. Their removal might affect specific predatory relationships.
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Salmon: Salmon are often a critical species in many ecosystems, serving as a major food source for various predators (including bears, eagles, and humans) but also impacting the plants and animals they feed on as they help to transport nutrients from the ocean to freshwater systems.
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Zooplankton: Zooplankton are primary consumers that feed on phytoplankton. Their removal would mainly impact higher trophic levels that rely on them for food, but the ecosystem may still remain relatively stable if other primary producers are present.
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Foxes: Foxes are typically predators that feed on smaller mammals, birds, and other organisms. Their removal would impact their prey but may not have as broad an effect as that of a keystone species.
Among these options, salmon are often considered a keystone species in their ecosystems due to their significant role in nutrient cycling and their wide range of interactions with other organisms. Removing salmon would likely cause the most instability in the ecosystem as it would disrupt not only the predator-prey relationships but also the nutrient dynamics.
Therefore, the answer is Salmon.