This is really good stuff!

As an addendum, here’s a guide to identifying ship type, likely cargo, and purpose (military, cargo etc.)

http://help.marinetraffic.com/hc/en-us/articles/205579997-What-is-the-significance-of-the-AIS-SHIPTYPE-number-

The AIS code appears to work similarly to a VIN number assigned to a vehicle, where each number describes what the ship is/does.

Hopefully, this guide will help in identifying the ships active in the area.