More than 20 different kinds of West Coast fish, known as groundfish, have just been declared a "good alternative" or "best choice" by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. That's a guide for consumers and chefs that takes into account the health and sustainability of fish.

The news comes earlier than expected and is due to better fishing practices and education, said Sheila Bowman, manager of culinary and strategic initiatives at Seafood Watch.

"It's a pretty exciting success story for things like rockfish, which sometimes gets sold as a Pacific red snapper," Bowman said.

Find the full list of recommended fish here.

Highlights from Seafood Watch's September 2014 updates:

• All trawl- and longline-caught rockfish have been upgraded from “Avoid” to either “Good Alternative” or “Best Choice”
• Major flatfish species—including Dover sole, English sole, Pacific sanddab and rex sole—have been upgraded from “Good Alternative” to “Best Choice”
• Pacific grenadier has been upgraded from “Avoid” to “Good Alternative”
• U.S. Pacific spiny dogfish has been upgraded from “Avoid” to “Best Choice”
• 13 of the species in this report are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)